Polestar – Volvo’s EV division – has this week announced that the next vehicle to roll off its production line, the Polestar 3 performance SUV, will be built in the US and targeted at American consumers. Polestar’s first venture into this particular EV arena will be manufactured at the Volvo Cars production centre in South Carolina and supported by retail “Spaces” across the US.
With a small, but loyal fanbase of current drivers, Polestar now looks to expand as a global brand by implementing US vehicle manufacturing and retail. What better way to do so than in the spiritual birthplace of the SUV. Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath, elaborates:
“Polestar 3 will be built in America, for our American customers,” says Ingenlath. “I remember the great response when I first shared Polestar’s vision here in the USA and I am proud that our first SUV will be manufactured in South Carolina. From now on, the USA is no longer an export market but a home market.”
So what do we know so far?
Polestar 3 is the Swedish manufacturer’s third standalone model (well, what else could follow the ‘1’ and the ‘2’?!?) and it is positioned as a ‘large all-electric SUV’; it will naturally rival the Tesla Model X, the Audi e-tron and the Jaguar I-Pace.
Despite the added bulk associated with SUVs, the promise made by company officials is that the Polestar 3 will have true performance features. When the cover eventually comes off, we can expect the appearance to be more Polestar and less Volvo. The design teams are working hard to separate the two brands in terms of aesthetics.
The aerodynamic electric performance SUV will feature industry-leading connectivity features based on Google’s native Android Automotive OS infotainment system, as well as high-end, safety-focused autonomous driving features.
Pricing of the vehicle is yet to be released. If we were to hazard a guess compared with its rival’s models, could we see the price point to start at around £50,000? Perhaps that’s a little hopeful……
Production of the vehicle is due to start in 2022, hopefully we will see some more teasers before then!
